Ward 1 - Chedoke-Cootes Two-term incumbent councillor Maureen Wilson won re-election in 2022 with 74.96% of the vote. She announced her intention to run for a third and final term in October of 2024.
Ward 2 - Downtown Incumbent councillor Cameron Kroetsch was elected in 2022 with 49.25% of the vote. He announced his intention to seek re-election in July of 2025. Local social media personality Daniel Myles announced his intention to seek the Ward 2 council seat on his Instagram page in 2025. Myles has found online fame posting videos captured from his home surveillance cameras in Hamilton's Central Neighbourhood. Myles falsely claimed that his attempt to prematurely solicit campaign donations through
GoFundMe was stopped because of political interference from the incumbent councillor. This followed the City of Hamilton's elections office informing him the fundraiser violated election laws. In November of 2025, Kroetsch posted a lengthy thread on the social media site
Bluesky reflecting on the threats, violence, and bullying he has experienced since taking office. The thread drew attention to Myles' history of making homophobic and misogynistic comments and targeting community members with differing political viewpoints. Myles later told
CHCH News that he stood by his use of a
homophobic slur, telling a reporter "I can say whatever I want whenever I want to." On April 15, 2026,
North End resident and activist Kelly Oucharek announced her candidacy for Ward 2 councillor. Oucharek became a leading opponent of a proposal by local faith-based groups to construct a tiny home village for people experiencing homelessness in the North End neighbourhood. Oucharek is a vocal critic of Kroetsch, frequently delegating to City Council and commenting to local media regarding issues in the community.
Ward 3 - Hamilton Centre Two-term incumbent councillor Nrinder Nann was re-elected in 2022 with 50.33% of the vote. She declared her intention to run for re-election in January of 2026. Selman is a frequent delegate to Hamilton City Council, focusing on issues of transparency, city spending, and
homeless encampments. Selman gained national media attention for his opposition to the makeshift communities. He has highlighted the issue of urban blight, campaigning for the demolition of abandoned buildings in the community. Selman made local news in May of 2024 after rescuing a family from an apartment fire. Stipley resident Graham Schreiber announced a bid for Ward 3 councillor on Facebook in July of 2025. In his posts regarding his candidacy, he has expressed opposition to the city's homeless population and to the proposed LRT project while indicating support for
Real Estate Investment Trusts and the involuntary incarceration of people with addictions. His posts also indicate support for President
Donald Trump and include
anti-Islam and anti-gay comments. He officially registered his candidacy on May 4, 2026. On February 19, 2026, Christine Cayuga, a local business owner, announced her intention to run for the Ward 3 council seat. Cayuga indicated she would be running on a platform that prioritizes affordability and opposes tax increases. She officially registered her candidacy on May 4, 2026.
Ward 4 - Hamilton East Incumbent councillor Tammy Hwang won the 2022 election with 23% of the vote. She announced she would seek re-election in July of 2025. In August of 2025, Hwang alerted the community to a flyer being circulated by Hayden Lawrence, a staffer for
Conservative Party of Canada Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MP
Ned Kuruc. Lawrence previously sought the office of councillor for the
Merriton ward in St. Catharines in 2018 and was the 2025 Conservative candidate for MP in
Hamilton Centre. In the letter, Hwang suggested that Lawrence was distributing the letter in anticipation of running for the Ward 4 council seat in 2026. In June of 2025, former Ward 2 councillor and
2022 Ontario Liberal Party candidate in
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek Jason Farr told the
Hamilton Spectator that he was considering a bid for the Ward 2 seat. In late April of 2026, Farr surprised observers by announcing he would, instead, seek the Ward 4 council seat. Local journalist Joey Coleman noted that Farr, a resident of Ward 3, had been working as a consultant lobbyist since losing his seat in 2022.
Ward 5 - Red Hill Incumbent councillor Matt Francis won the 2022 election with 43.61% of the vote. He announced he would be running for re-election in January of 2026. In January of 2026, Cooper told the Hamilton Spectator's Scott Radley that he was considering a mayoral bid due to his frustration with Mayor Horwath's handling of the 2026 budget.
Ward 9 - Upper Stoney Creek Incumbent councillor
Brad Clark won re-election in 2022 with 51.56% of the vote. He announced his intention to run for a fifth term in January of 2026. Bennink registered to run for the seat on the opening day of nominations.
Ward 13 - Dundas Incumbent councillor Alex Wilson won the 2022 election with 57.94% of the vote. Wilson announced via their Ward 13 community newsletter on May 1, 2026 that they had made the "difficult decision" not to seek re-election, pointing to both accomplishments during their term and ongoing concerns about provincial interference in municipal governance. Loren Lieberman, a local political activist who worked on the campaigns of Jason Farr and Vito Sgro, told the
Hamilton Spectator he would be seeking the Ward 13 council seat in 2026.
Ward 14 - West Mountain Incumbent councillor Mike Spadafora won the 2022 election with 28.48% of the vote. While Spadafora's name was floated as a potential mayoral candidate, he announced his intention to run for re-election in January of 2026.
Ward 15 - Flamborough Incumbent councillor
Ted McMeekin won the 2022 election with 43.83% of the vote. McMeekin, who has been involved in politics since the 1970's, told CBC Hamilton in January of 2026 that he would take time to consult with his family over his political future and make a decision closer to the August 21 deadline for registration. ==Public school board trustee elections==